Bhubaneswar, Sept. 28: The municipal corporation has decided to rope in partners for smooth management of electronic waste (e-waste) in the city.

The move came in view of the Centre's new E-Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided issue a notification to shortlist suitable collaborator, who will scientifically collect, channelise and dismantle the e-waste generated in the city.

Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar has directed officials to establish an effective e-waste collection and channelisation mechanism. "We will rope in voluntary organisations and other key stakeholders, including the rag-pickers and scrap dealers, for effective implementation of the e-waste management rules," said Kumar.

He said the civic body would adopt an effective business model, so that the e-waste management mechanism runs on a sustainable platform and would be modelled on other effective ones prevailing in bigger cities such as Bangalore and Pune.

In another development, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board has submitted a draft proposal for time-bound action plan for institutional set-up and management of the e-waste. "We have drafted an action plan for safe management of the e-waste. We will also look for awareness generation among the public and other establishments of a collection channel," said senior environmental scientist Dilip Kumar Behera.

According to a survey conducted in the city, the central and state government departments, banks, educational institutions, multinational companies, international organisations, hospitality sector, information technology companies, health care establishments, refurbisher and repair shops, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector, heavy industries are the major generator of e-waste in the city.

According to the rules, the civic body will act as an agency to ensure proper segregation of e-waste from the municipal solid waste, channelise collection and dismantling of such waste with authorised agencies and dismantlers. The pollution control board will help the civic body to ensure the entire process.

"It is a good move of the civic body to act in line of the rules. The e-waste generation is increasing with the expanding nature of technology," said Umakant Pradhan, an expert in information technology.

"The state government should now think of establishing an e-waste treatment plant in the state instead of depending on other states for the treatment purpose," he said.

On August 17, a preliminary meeting was held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi where he expressed his concern over an increase in the use of electronic gadgets leading to generation of more e-waste and likelihood of a quantum jump and especially when Bhubaneswar has achieved the smart city tag.